https://www.scmp.com/rss/517957/feed The latest news, analysis and opinion on SF Express. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Jeffie Lam,Wynna Wong Jeffie Lam,Wynna Wong Greater Bay Airlines has become the latest Hong Kong-based carrier to raise its fuel surcharges by 34 per cent amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with the fee for destinations other than mainland China set to hit HK$389 (US$50). China’s largest courier, SF Express, also said on Friday it would switch to adjusting its fuel surcharge rates from a monthly to a weekly basis beginning in April because of the “continuous and frequent fluctuations” of international oil prices. Global fuel... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3348094/greater-bay-airlines-raise-fuel-charges-34-joining-other-hong-kong-carriers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3348094/greater-bay-airlines-raise-fuel-charges-34-joining-other-hong-kong-carriers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 05:14:56 +0000 Jeffie Lam Jeffie Lam Hong Kong will raise its postage rates next month amid surging oil prices triggered by the conflict in the Middle East, with the cost of posting local letters increasing by 9 per cent to HK$2.40 (31 US cents). Hongkong Post on Monday said the new rates would come into effect on April 13, highlighting the need to adjust postage rates to offset escalating operating costs, particularly increases in major cost components such as conveyance costs and terminal dues payments. “Overall, the postage... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3347541/hong-kong-raise-postage-rates-april-13-amid-surging-oil-prices?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3347541/hong-kong-raise-postage-rates-april-13-amid-surging-oil-prices?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 04:58:35 +0000 Edith Lin,Ambrose Li Edith Lin,Ambrose Li Hong Kong’s logistics sector has urged the government to intervene after major airlines said they would quadruple their cargo fuel surcharges from Friday, calling the adjustment unreasonable despite surging global oil prices. Gary Lau Ho-yin, chairman of the Hong Kong Association of Freight Forwarding and Logistics, said on Monday that the surcharge increases were far higher than the 30 to 40 per cent rise in international crude oil prices. “We expected major airlines to double their existing... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3346700/courier-sf-express-imposes-temporary-fuel-surcharges-within-hong-kong-and-macau?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3346700/courier-sf-express-imposes-temporary-fuel-surcharges-within-hong-kong-and-macau?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 03:09:20 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao China’s top market regulator has summoned the country’s leading tech companies to demand an end to “involutionary” competition, at the time when the companies are pouring billions of yuan into a Lunar New Year promotional blitz to win over users for services including artificial intelligence apps. The companies summoned on Friday were Alibaba Group Holding, ByteDance’s Douyin, Baidu, Tencent Holdings, JD.com, Meituan and Taobao Instant Commerce, Alibaba’s on-demand delivery unit, the State... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3343614/beijing-warns-tech-giants-curb-involution-amid-ai-giveaway-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3343614/beijing-warns-tech-giants-curb-involution-amid-ai-giveaway-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Feb 2026 06:30:07 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng As the Lunar New Year holiday approaches, the Chinese government has summoned Meituan, Alibaba Group Holding, Didi Chuxing, SF Express and other logistics firms to ensure the welfare of the tens of millions of gig workers who keep the country running during the rush. The “employment administrative guidance” session, held recently by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, in coordination with six other government agencies, called on 16 major Chinese platform and logistics operators... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3342989/china-calls-delivery-ride-hailing-firms-respect-gig-worker-rights-ahead-holiday?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3342989/china-calls-delivery-ride-hailing-firms-respect-gig-worker-rights-ahead-holiday?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 02:37:35 +0000 Yujie Xue,Coco Feng,Mandy Zuo Yujie Xue,Coco Feng,Mandy Zuo Drones, unmanned aircraft and flying cars are taking to the sky in China, as the country taps new technology to pare congestion, speed deliveries and create new opportunities for economic growth. Pilotless drones carry food to tourists on the Great Wall of China and help farmers improve yields among other tasks, while unmanned aircraft fly sightseers around major cities and ferry construction materials to remote mountain sites. China’s first flying-car factory has also opened in recent months,... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3335152/flying-cars-take-china-extends-drone-market-domination?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3335152/flying-cars-take-china-extends-drone-market-domination?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 04:50:58 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen UBTech Robotics says it plans to expand its assembly of humanoid robots 10-fold next year to as many as 5,000 units and double that to 10,000 in 2027, as the scale economics of China’s advanced manufacturing prowess shaves a fifth off production costs every year. The Shenzhen-based company was on track to deliver 500 humanoid robots for industrial use by the end of this year, scaling up since delivering the first 10 droids last year, UBTech’s chief branding officer Michael Tam said during an... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3333427/ubtechs-2026-humanoid-robot-output-grow-10-fold-costs-plunge-scale-economics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3333427/ubtechs-2026-humanoid-robot-output-grow-10-fold-costs-plunge-scale-economics?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Nov 2025 13:00:17 +0000 Harvey Kong Harvey Kong China’s largest courier, SF Express, has said that it is looking at offering cross-border drone delivery services between Hong Kong and four mainland cities. The company revealed its plan on Friday as Hong Kong’s transport chief stressed the need for a resilient logistics ecosystem with geopolitical tensions rising. Kenny Lau, chief technology officer at SF Express Hong Kong, said that the second stage of the company’s plan would be to expand the service to cover all cities in the Greater Bay... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3328586/sf-express-looks-drone-deliveries-between-hong-kong-4-mainland-chinese-cities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3328586/sf-express-looks-drone-deliveries-between-hong-kong-4-mainland-chinese-cities?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Oct 2025 12:23:44 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu A new drone pilot project has cut the delivery time for urgent medical supplies to a Hong Kong hospital on an outlying island by two-thirds, from 65 minutes via ferry to 20 minutes by air. The project, part of a low-altitude economy regulatory “sandbox” launched by the government in March, is a collaboration between the Hospital Authority and logistics firm SF Express, aiming to provide a faster and more efficient alternative to ferries, which are subject to scheduling constraints that could... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3325482/drone-sends-medical-supplies-hong-kong-island-cheung-chau-20-minutes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3325482/drone-sends-medical-supplies-hong-kong-island-cheung-chau-20-minutes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Sep 2025 08:03:50 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu With public bus companies across China struggling to keep the wheels going round and round amid rising financial pressures and declining ridership, some are embracing innovative and unorthodox measures – such as repurposing their idle fleet for delivery services, or allowing pets as passengers. Zhengzhou Public Transport Group, which serves the capital city of Henan province, is among the latest to adopt an emerging “bus-plus-logistics” business model, having announced a partnership with courier... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3319156/chinas-public-bus-companies-bleed-cash-and-lose-riders-are-rides-pets-answer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3319156/chinas-public-bus-companies-bleed-cash-and-lose-riders-are-rides-pets-answer?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Jul 2025 13:00:08 +0000 Aileen Chuang Aileen Chuang SF Holding, China’s largest courier, announced plans on Thursday to raise more than HK$5.9 billion (US$752 million) through a new share placement in Hong Kong and the issuance of convertible bonds. Proceeds from the HK$2.9505 billion equity placement and HK$2.95 billion in zero-coupon one-year convertible bonds would be used for the firm’s international and cross-border logistics capabilities, as well as research and development of advanced technologies, among others, it said in a stock exchange... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3315876/chinese-courier-sf-raise-us752-million-hong-kong-shares-convertible-bonds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3315876/chinese-courier-sf-raise-us752-million-hong-kong-shares-convertible-bonds?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Jun 2025 04:15:21 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao China’s production of industrial robots surged by more than 50 per cent in April compared with a year earlier, according to official data, highlighting the growing demand driven by a national frenzy for robotics. The national output of industrial robots jumped 51.5 per cent year on year to 71,547 units last month, according to the latest data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Monday. The growth outpaced the 16.7 per cent increase seen in March and the 27 per cent growth recorded... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3310908/chinas-industrial-robot-output-soars-start-ups-unitree-and-ubtech-take-lead?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3310908/chinas-industrial-robot-output-soars-start-ups-unitree-and-ubtech-take-lead?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 May 2025 09:00:30 +0000 Mia Castagnone Mia Castagnone Indonesia’s growing economy, coupled with a multilingual workforce and vast business opportunities over an archipelago of 15,000 islands, is a magnet for logistics companies from China, according to a leading Chinese courier company. “I can see a lot of potential in terms of supply chain to help Indonesia and support its economic growth,” said Michael Tung, managing director for Hong Kong and Macau at SF Supply Chain, which provides turnkey supply-chain solutions to enterprises. “Indonesia is... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3293928/indonesia-hotspot-chinese-companies-logistics-supply-chain-arena-sf-group-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3293928/indonesia-hotspot-chinese-companies-logistics-supply-chain-arena-sf-group-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Jan 2025 01:30:14 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen Autonomous-driving truck start-up Autra.tech has scaled back its operations amid a cash crunch, according to local media reports, as the United States prepares to ban China-made software for connected vehicles. Beijing-based Autra.tech’s current challenges in financing and tight cash flow cannot support its research and development plans, product outlay and operations, chief executive Fei Ding wrote in an internal letter to employees in September, according to a report this week by Chinese news... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3285318/chinese-self-driving-truck-start-autratech-scales-down-operations-amid-cash-crunch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3285318/chinese-self-driving-truck-start-autratech-scales-down-operations-amid-cash-crunch?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Nov 2024 12:00:26 +0000 A new commercial cargo drone route launched in southern China’s Greater Bay Area on Friday, delivering goods by air while cutting intercity transport time by nearly an hour. The 70km (43-mile) flight between Shenzhen and Zhongshan – both in Guangdong province – takes the unmanned aerial vehicle around 45 minutes. It costs 40 yuan (US$5.60) per delivery order, to be completed within four hours, and can transport goods weighing up to 20kg (44lbs). Drone manufacturer Phoenix Wings said in a WeChat... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3258956/drone-delivery-service-launches-chinas-greater-bay-area-slashing-transport-time-and-costs-between?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3258956/drone-delivery-service-launches-chinas-greater-bay-area-slashing-transport-time-and-costs-between?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Apr 2024 07:00:40 +0000 China should improve protection for workers from “invisible overtime”, according to policy advisers and lawmakers at the ongoing “two sessions” in Beijing, with the world’s second-largest economy particularly struggling against high youth unemployment. Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference delegate Lyu Guoquan, who is the director of the general office of China’s trade union federation, has proposed including the right of “offline rest” into labour laws, while also raising the legal... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3254402/chinas-two-sessions-2024-focus-work-life-balance-urged-stop-workers-being-trapped-invisible-overtime?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3254402/chinas-two-sessions-2024-focus-work-life-balance-urged-stop-workers-being-trapped-invisible-overtime?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Mar 2024 00:00:16 +0000 When Chinese baijiu maker ZJLD Group raised HK$5.31 billion (US$676.4 million) in April, few would have expected it to be Hong Kong’s biggest initial public offering of the year. It trailed China Tourism Group Duty Free’s US$2.3 billion IPO in 2022 and fell far short of short-video platform Kuaishou Tech’s US$6.2 billion listing the previous year. Hong Kong’s IPO value fell 53.5 per cent to a 20-year low of US$5.9 billion from 68 listings, according to Refinitiv data. Simply put, 2023 was dismal... https://www.scmp.com/business/markets/article/3246630/hong-kong-ipo-market-revival-cards-amid-favourable-interest-rate-outlook-china-policy-easing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/markets/article/3246630/hong-kong-ipo-market-revival-cards-amid-favourable-interest-rate-outlook-china-policy-easing?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Dec 2023 02:00:18 +0000 There are more than 90 initial public offering (IPO) applications in the pipeline in Hong Kong, but the city needs more than a few blockbusters to hit the market, if there is going to be any improvement in 2024. The city’s new IPO market this year has been one of the bleakest in two decades. A total of 42 companies raised US$3.13 billion on the main board of the Hong Kong stock exchange in the first nine months, according to financial data provider Refinitiv. The fourth quarter has not been much... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3245455/hong-kong-ipos-cainiao-midea-jd-industrials-sf-holding-and-movoi-hotly-anticipated-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3245455/hong-kong-ipos-cainiao-midea-jd-industrials-sf-holding-and-movoi-hotly-anticipated-market?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Dec 2023 02:00:10 +0000 China’s decarbonisation campaign has its cross hairs trained on the country’s mountain of discarded courier packaging material as the volume of parcels delivered hits a record high while Beijing is scrambling to meet its ambitious climate goals. The country aims to establish a standard system for green courier packaging by the end of 2025, and ban the use of toxic and harmful materials, according to a joint action plan unveiled by the central economic planner National Development and Reform... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3245618/china-urges-green-transition-courier-sector-e-commerce-boom-leaves-trail-packaging-waste?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3245618/china-urges-green-transition-courier-sector-e-commerce-boom-leaves-trail-packaging-waste?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Dec 2023 08:32:08 +0000 DST Electrical Vehicle Rental, a Chinese new-energy vehicle (NEV) fleet operator, has secured US$80 million in funding from a new investor, giving a boost to the company’s expansion plans. The investment has been made by Decarbonization Partners, according to people familiar with the matter. Decarbonisation Partners is a joint venture between Singapore’s state-owned investor Temasek Holdings and BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager. The Shenzhen-based NEV rental firm said in a statement... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3244831/ikea-backed-chinese-nev-rental-operator-dst-raises-us80-million-boost-expansion-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3244831/ikea-backed-chinese-nev-rental-operator-dst-raises-us80-million-boost-expansion-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Dec 2023 01:00:22 +0000 J&T Global Express, an Asian courier service group based in Shanghai, could raise as much as HK$4.1 billion (US$520 million) from its initial public offering (IPO) after orders from investors exceeded the shares offered for sale. The company said it will receive HK$3.53 billion from the sale of 32.7 million shares to investors in Hong Kong, and from the 293.9 million shares that global investors will take up, according to an exchange filing on Thursday. It received applications for 1.4 times the... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3239317/courier-jt-global-express-could-raise-much-us520-million-hong-kong-ipo-after-offering-oversubscribed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3239317/courier-jt-global-express-could-raise-much-us520-million-hong-kong-ipo-after-offering-oversubscribed?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Oct 2023 12:01:50 +0000 Asian courier services start-up J&T Global Express said on Monday it planned to raise up to HK$3.92 billion (US$500.97 million) in Hong Kong, in what is set to be the Hong Kong stock exchange’s second-largest initial public offering (IPO) of the year. Shanghai-based J&T will sell some 326.6 million shares at HK$12 per share, according to a filing on the Hong Kong exchange website. It is set to list on Thursday, with settlement expected to be on October 27. Based on that valuation, J&T will have... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3238045/indonesian-courier-jt-global-aims-raise-us500-million-hong-kongs-second-biggest-ipo-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3238045/indonesian-courier-jt-global-aims-raise-us500-million-hong-kongs-second-biggest-ipo-year?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Oct 2023 02:08:38 +0000 About a decade after Jack Ma pushed forward the establishment of logistics enterprise Cainiao, a big opportunity looms for global investors to own a stake in one of the Alibaba Group Holding founder’s grand projects. Cainiao Smart Logistics Network is the first of the e-commerce giant’s six spin-off companies to test the appetite for new listings in Hong Kong, where it has applied to raise at least US$1 billion in what is widely expected to be the world’s second-largest initial public offering... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3236024/alibabas-cainiao-one-founder-jack-mas-grand-projects-heat-chinas-logistics-industry-after-us1?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3236024/alibabas-cainiao-one-founder-jack-mas-grand-projects-heat-chinas-logistics-industry-after-us1?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Sep 2023 13:30:10 +0000 ByteDance’s viral video app Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, is making one of its most aggressive pushes to expand its delivery service in a bid to compete against industry powerhouse Meituan. The platform known for its short video offerings, which has slowly crept into “super app” territory with many different services, will expand its food delivery business to 24 new cities, including major markets such as Shenzhen, Tianjin, southeast of Beijing, and Chongqing, in southwestern... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3234276/douyins-food-delivery-operation-expands-footprint-fivefold-cover-30-major-chinese-cities-competition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3234276/douyins-food-delivery-operation-expands-footprint-fivefold-cover-30-major-chinese-cities-competition?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Sep 2023 11:30:13 +0000 A new air cargo route was launched on Wednesday linking Ezhou city in central China’s Hubei province, with Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), announced SF Airlines. Early Wednesday morning, a Boeing 747-400 freighter took off from Ezhou Huahu Airport, China’s first cargo-focused airport. This marked the launch of the first cargo route connecting the airport with the Middle East, said SF Airlines, China’s largest air cargo carrier in fleet size. A weekly round-trip air cargo... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3231293/sf-airlines-launches-weekly-cargo-route-united-arab-emirates-central-chinas-hubei-province?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3231293/sf-airlines-launches-weekly-cargo-route-united-arab-emirates-central-chinas-hubei-province?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Aug 2023 09:53:21 +0000 A slowdown in public markets has tapped the brakes on office leasing momentum in Hong Kong, but a turnaround in deal activity, with a boost from several blockbuster listings which are in the pipeline, may improve performance in the second half of the year, according to real estate firm Savills. Office rents in the city’s business district saw a decline in the January-June period as the initial public offerings (IPO) market struck a 20-year low with just HK$17.8 billion (US$2.2 billion) raised,... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3230372/hong-kongs-ipo-market-slump-hurts-office-leasing-demand-insurance-boom-picks-some-slack-savills?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3230372/hong-kongs-ipo-market-slump-hurts-office-leasing-demand-insurance-boom-picks-some-slack-savills?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Aug 2023 08:53:17 +0000 SF Holding, China’s biggest parcel delivery firm by market value, plans to sell up to 540 million shares in Hong Kong as the company taps overseas funding channels following Beijing’s shift to a friendly tone towards the Big Tech platforms that contribute the bulk of the courier industry’s revenue. The company’s board unanimously approved the plan on Tuesday to sell shares on the main board of the Hong Kong exchange, and the proposal is still pending shareholder approval, SF said in a statement... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3229701/chinas-biggest-courier-sf-plans-hong-kong-share-sale-raise-us33-billion-underscoring-tech-policy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3229701/chinas-biggest-courier-sf-plans-hong-kong-share-sale-raise-us33-billion-underscoring-tech-policy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Aug 2023 06:00:12 +0000 A number of Chinese movers which are using wearable exoskeleton robots to boost efficiency and prevent muscle strain have trended on mainland social media after videos of the devices were posted. CCTV2 reported this month that more mainland moving companies have started to provide intelligent wearable exoskeleton robots for their workers to meet the demand for services in the peak summer season, with companies in Beijing, Shanghai and other cities using the technology. Movers Hong Yanming and... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3228465/awesome-movers-china-wear-exoskeleton-suits-heavy-lifting-boosting-efficiency-reducing-injury?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3228465/awesome-movers-china-wear-exoskeleton-suits-heavy-lifting-boosting-efficiency-reducing-injury?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Jul 2023 01:00:18 +0000 Meituan is adding video features to its app as China’s food delivery services giant braces for competition from Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, in the online local services sector. As ByteDance’s Douyin pushes into the local delivery market, dominant player Meituan has taken a page from Douyin’s playbook by using a mix of video content from live streaming to short videos on its platform to facilitate transactions. Analysts say the move could help Meituan to stay popular among younger... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3228022/food-delivery-giant-meituan-adds-more-video-features-app-douyin-marches-its-market-starbucks-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3228022/food-delivery-giant-meituan-adds-more-video-features-app-douyin-marches-its-market-starbucks-and?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Jul 2023 14:30:19 +0000 In a buzzy urban area in Shenzhen, sand­wiched between several skyscrapers, I watch as a yellow-and-black drone descends onto a pickup kiosk by the street. The top of the vending-machine-size kiosk opens up for the drone to land, and a white cardboard box containing my drink is placed inside. When I made the delivery order on my phone half an hour ago, the app noted that it would arrive by drone at 2.03pm, and that is exactly when it came. The drone delivery service I am trying out is operated... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3224049/how-chinese-tech-giant-meituan-cracked-food-delivery-drone-densely-built-shenzhen-and-implications?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3224049/how-chinese-tech-giant-meituan-cracked-food-delivery-drone-densely-built-shenzhen-and-implications?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jun 2023 23:45:09 +0000 China’s drone industry crossed the 100-billion yuan (US$14 billion) mark for the first time last year, as market expansion into areas such as low-altitude logistics helped drive domestic demand. The industry’s annual output reached 117 billion yuan last year, up more than 34 per cent from 87 billion yuan in 2021, according to Yang Jincai, chairman of the Shenzhen Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Industry Association, in his presentation at the 7th Drone World Congress that was held from June 2 to 4,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3223016/chinas-drone-industry-crosses-us14-billion-mark-annual-output-2022-amid-local-market-expansion-low?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3223016/chinas-drone-industry-crosses-us14-billion-mark-annual-output-2022-amid-local-market-expansion-low?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jun 2023 12:00:13 +0000 A surge in the number of job offers in China’s artificial intelligence (AI) sector for college graduates has become one of the few bright spots in an otherwise bleak jobs market, according to a report by a local recruitment platform. While China’s youth jobless rate has hit a new high and with conditions mostly tough for the country’s 11.6 million fresh graduates, those with degrees related to large language models (LLMs), the AI technology behind the rise of Microsoft-backed OpenAI’s ChatGPT,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3222811/ai-sector-bright-spot-tough-jobs-market-chinas-graduates-chatgpt-frenzy-spurs-new-employer-demand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3222811/ai-sector-bright-spot-tough-jobs-market-chinas-graduates-chatgpt-frenzy-spurs-new-employer-demand?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Jun 2023 23:00:17 +0000 Chinese food delivery and on-demand services giant Meituan reported a 26.7 per cent rise in first-quarter revenue from a year ago, as demand surged after China’s reopening from Covid-19 restrictions. The Beijing-based firm said on Thursday its total revenue was 58.62 billion yuan (US$8.3 billion) for the three months to end-March, up from 46.3 billion yuan (US$6.5 billion) a year earlier. Meanwhile, Meituan returned to a net profit of 3.36 billion yuan from a net loss of 5.7 billion yuan a year... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3221815/food-delivery-giant-meituan-reports-27-pc-revenue-growth-demand-rebounds-after-lifting-covid-curbs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3221815/food-delivery-giant-meituan-reports-27-pc-revenue-growth-demand-rebounds-after-lifting-covid-curbs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 May 2023 11:00:13 +0000 About 20,000 patients a day at Hong Kong public hospitals can opt to have their prescription medicine delivered to their doorsteps after specialist consultations by the end of the year, health authorities have said. The new service, which will cost HK$65 (US$8) per delivery, was introduced to help cut waiting times at hospital pharmacies. Patients aged 18 or older who visit specialist outpatient services will be able to use the delivery service, which will start at Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3219173/medicine-your-doorstep-hong-kong-health-authorities-launch-prescription-home-delivery-service?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3219173/medicine-your-doorstep-hong-kong-health-authorities-launch-prescription-home-delivery-service?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 May 2023 14:18:08 +0000 Chinese tycoon Chen Hongtian’s company has blamed a “short-term cash-flow disruption” after three of his properties in Hong Kong, including a house on The Peak that he bought for HK$2.1 billion (US$268 million) in 2016, were taken over by creditors. “I hope that the public will further understand the correct information,” Chen told the Post on Friday, breaking his silence over the seizure of three of his assets in the city. “Chen Hongtian’s three core properties in Hong Kong are worth about... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3215608/tycoon-chen-hongtian-blames-short-term-cash-flow-disruption-seizure-hong-kong-properties-including?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3215608/tycoon-chen-hongtian-blames-short-term-cash-flow-disruption-seizure-hong-kong-properties-including?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Mar 2023 12:15:10 +0000 China’s e-commerce market saw at least 89 online shopping platforms closed last year, as the sector struggled with rigid Covid-19 control measures, fierce competition and weak consumer spending amid a flagging domestic economy, according to an industry report. Online shopping guide websites were the hardest hit, with 32 of these platforms shut down to account for about 36 per cent of overall casualties last year in the world’s largest e-commerce market, according to a report published this week... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3208898/chinas-e-commerce-market-sees-least-89-platforms-close-2022-amid-covid-19-controls-fierce?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3208898/chinas-e-commerce-market-sees-least-89-platforms-close-2022-amid-covid-19-controls-fierce?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Feb 2023 11:30:14 +0000 When Meituan founder and chief executive Wang Xing was asked last November about the rapid rise of competition in China’s on-demand local services sector, he suggested that the company was way ahead of any would-be rival. “We can better meet users’ demand … and merchants’ needs,” Wang said in a conference call with analysts after Beijing-based Meituan reported a 1.2 billion yuan (US$179 million) net profit in the three months to September, ending seven consecutive quarters of losses. The... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3207434/bytedance-primes-short-video-app-douyin-challenge-meituan-demand-local-services-amid-chinas-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3207434/bytedance-primes-short-video-app-douyin-challenge-meituan-demand-local-services-amid-chinas-push?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Jan 2023 04:00:12 +0000 Short video platform Douyin, the Chinese sibling to ByteDance-owned TikTok, has appointed 32-year-old Han Shangyou as its business leader, making him the youngest executive in charge of the hugely popular app. Several Douyin managers, including Wu Xiaodan, in charge of user growth, and Zhi Ying who oversees content and product, now report to Han, according to a notice on its internal human resources system seen by the South China Morning Post. Han, who previously managed Douyin’s local services... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3203766/tiktoks-chinese-version-douyin-appoints-32-year-old-straight-shooter-new-leader-amid-efforts-expand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3203766/tiktoks-chinese-version-douyin-appoints-32-year-old-straight-shooter-new-leader-amid-efforts-expand?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Dec 2022 01:30:15 +0000 Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, has teamed up with major courier firms to fill a gap in its local services strategy in a bid to mount a stronger challenge to industry giant Meituan. With more than 600 million daily active users in China, the popular short video platform has tried to convert eyeballs into revenue and profits for parent company ByteDance, but success in the local services market has been limited by a lack of offline delivery resources. To address that, Beijing-based Douyin... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3202263/bytedance-ramps-competition-meituan-local-services-enlisting-couriers-delivery-partners?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3202263/bytedance-ramps-competition-meituan-local-services-enlisting-couriers-delivery-partners?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Dec 2022 13:30:16 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Short video app Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, is accelerating its e-commerce push and venturing into movie ticketing as owner ByteDance doubles down on efforts to turn its massive user base into a steady stream of revenue. The Beijing-based company is looking to leverage the combined user base of its two biggest apps. Its flagship short video app, with 600 million daily active users in China, has launched a special shopping channel on Jinri Toutiao, ByteDance’s news aggregation app. It... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3196456/tiktoks-chinese-version-douyin-adds-shopping-bytedance-news-app-prepares-movie-ticketing-service-e?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3196456/tiktoks-chinese-version-douyin-adds-shopping-bytedance-news-app-prepares-movie-ticketing-service-e?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Oct 2022 05:29:50 +0000 SF Reit, the first real estate investment trust in Hong Kong to focus on logistics properties, said it will not be able to achieve the target of doubling its portfolio within two years of listing because interest rates have increased sharply. The goal had been to expand the value of total assets from HK$6 billion (US$764 million) to HK$12 billion. “In recent meetings with investors, I told them that I have to admit I won’t be able to achieve that target,” said Hubert Chak, CEO of SF Reit, in an... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3194864/sf-reit-spun-owner-chinas-fedex-wont-achieve-goal-doubling-assets-us15?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3194864/sf-reit-spun-owner-chinas-fedex-wont-achieve-goal-doubling-assets-us15?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Oct 2022 00:30:12 +0000 Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, is doubling down on efforts to generate revenue through online sales and localised services such as food ordering, a move that will pit it against entrenched rivals such as Alibaba Group Holding and Meituan. The aggressive drive by Douyin into live-streaming e-commerce and other sectors, on top of its strong advertising revenue generation, offers clues as to how the TikTok business model will evolve in overseas markets. Douyin and TikTok, both owned by... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3193414/clues-how-tiktok-will-make-money-parent-bytedance-watch-sister-app?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3193414/clues-how-tiktok-will-make-money-parent-bytedance-watch-sister-app?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Sep 2022 13:30:17 +0000 China’s e-commerce hub of Yiwu, a key sourcing centre for low cost goods, continues to cause disruptions to trade flows after thousands of e-commerce merchants suspended deliveries when the city went into a Covid-19 lockdown just over a week ago. One out of every 10 parcel deliveries in China in July came from Yiwu in eastern Zhejiang province, according to government data, but that dried up in early August because of an outbreak of the Omicron variant. Local authorities issued a notice on... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3189493/chinas-e-commerce-industry-hit-delivery-and-live-streaming-hub-yiwu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3189493/chinas-e-commerce-industry-hit-delivery-and-live-streaming-hub-yiwu?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Aug 2022 13:00:21 +0000 Senior American military analysts have identified “surprising shortfalls” in the Chinese military’s logistics despite recent reforms, suggesting a lack of preparedness if it engages in a conflict in the near term. US Department of Defence senior analyst Joshua Arostegui and other military experts said logistical gaps meant serious weaknesses in the People’s Liberation Army’s readiness to fight, notwithstanding its high enlistment numbers. “There seem to be some surprising shortfalls in logistics... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3185863/surprising-shortfalls-china-military-logistics-suggest-lack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3185863/surprising-shortfalls-china-military-logistics-suggest-lack?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Jul 2022 20:00:20 +0000 Kerry Logistics Network has rolled out Hong Kong’s first two 5.5-tonne electric trucks after buying them for HK$3 million (US$382,170), paving the way for the city’s largest listed firm of its kind to achieve zero carbon emissions in 10 years. Upon becoming the city’s first logistics company to deploy e-trucks, the firm said the two 5.5-tonne vehicles, made by Chinese manufacturer JAC Motors, had hit the road this month. “The introduction will be a trial run and is part of Kerry Logistics... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3177770/kerry-logistics-rolls-out-hong-kongs-first-electric-trucks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3177770/kerry-logistics-rolls-out-hong-kongs-first-electric-trucks?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 May 2022 03:00:26 +0000 Chinese state media has released details of the country’s military logistics supply networks and how they are operating under the concept of joint operations in a system analysts said was inspired by the US military’s transport command. State-owned China Central Television’s WeChat social media account on Monday published a report about the operations of the five logistic support centres of the People’s Liberation Army five theatre commands in the Central, West, East, South and North. Hainan... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3177222/chinese-media-unveils-details-us-inspired-military-logistics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3177222/chinese-media-unveils-details-us-inspired-military-logistics?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 May 2022 03:00:13 +0000 Aerial delivery drones were conspicuously missing during Shanghai’s month-long Covid-19 lockdown, even though 25 million residents in one of China’s biggest population centres struggled for daily deliveries of fresh food and essential medical supplies. Once trumpeted as the “moon shot” in the world’s largest e-commerce and delivery market – with the potential to fly a package or a meal box to a customer’s doorstep – drones were mostly grounded by regulations and confined to discreet trials in... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3177170/coronavirus-chinas-drones-fail-deploy-during-shanghai-lockdown-aerial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3177170/coronavirus-chinas-drones-fail-deploy-during-shanghai-lockdown-aerial?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 May 2022 10:00:18 +0000 China’s top chip maker said more than 60 per cent of its workers in Shanghai are living on campus, showing the pressure that factories operating in and around the city are under to sustain the country’s semiconductor supply chain amid an extended Covid-19 lockdown. Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC), one of Shanghai’s most important enterprises and China’s best hope in achieving self-sufficiency in chip-making, has been operating under a “closed-loop” arrangement since... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3175685/chinas-top-chip-maker-smic-has-two-thirds-shanghai-workers-sleeping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3175685/chinas-top-chip-maker-smic-has-two-thirds-shanghai-workers-sleeping?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Apr 2022 12:00:19 +0000 Cooked food deliveries and express package services in Shanghai are essentially “out of service” as Covid-19 cases in the city of 25 million reached a record high on Wednesday, forcing people to resort to phone calls and group buying to source essentials like groceries and medicine as the city remains in lockdown. Residents are relying on phone calls and WeChat group buying orders to purchase groceries such as tomatoes, green vegetables and beef, as most local restaurants that previously offered... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3173255/shanghai-covid-lockdown-residents-resort-phone-calls-group-buying?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3173255/shanghai-covid-lockdown-residents-resort-phone-calls-group-buying?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Apr 2022 10:30:26 +0000 Hong Kong’s recent skyrocketing Covid-19 infections have sparked a manpower crunch and thrown the city’s supply chains into disarray, forcing online retailer HKTVmall and logistics firm SF Express to curtail delivery services. The logistics sector suffered a severe shortage of personnel due to frontline workers becoming infected or isolated as close contacts as Hong Kong on Friday logged more than 50,000 confirmed cases for the third consecutive day. The situation was exacerbated by a wave of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3169297/coronavirus-hong-kong-delivery-workers-short?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3169297/coronavirus-hong-kong-delivery-workers-short?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Mar 2022 12:01:55 +0000